What are the best poems to help kids learn English?

Learning how to speak English and how to pronounce English words may be easier if we find some rhythm. To that end, we can try reciting poems. There is an abundance of English poems out there that our children may find amusing, and learning them can be a lot of fun.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water

Jack fell down and broke his crown

And Jill came tumbling after

Up Jack got, and home did trot

As fast as he could caper

He went to bed to mend his head

With vinegar and brown paper

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb,

Its fleece was white as snow,

And everywhere that Mary went

The lamb was sure to go;

He followed her to school one day—

That was against the rule,

It made the children laugh and play,

To see a lamb at school. (…)

Wee Willie Winkie

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,

Upstairs, downstairs in his night-gown,

Tapping at the window, crying at the lock,

Are the children in their bed, for it’s past ten o’clock?

Baa, Baa Black Sheep

Baa, baa, black sheep,

Have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir,

Three bags full;

One for the master,

One for the dame,

And one for the little boy

Who lives down the lane.

Memorising poems like these will certainly be helpful when it comes to learning English, especially with pronunciation. However, you need to follow some simple rules:

Voice modulation. 

Remember to use appropriate intonation as you recite, and try to encourage the learner to follow you. This is an important aspect of any poetry.

Try to act it out. If the poem features a few characters, you may want to change your voice to reflect that. This will help the child to understand any potential dialogue, and thus to memorise the poem.

Divide. 

To help the child memorise it, break the poem down into paragraphs or lines. You can repeat them as needed before reciting the entire poem.

Repeat.

 In order for the student to be able to recite the poem by themselves, repetition is key. First, you can repeat each section, then the entire poem. This will provide a structured way to absorb the entire text.